TechSpark Spotlight – Five Questions with Bob Wingo, the Intersection of Possibilities

El Paso, Texas and Juarez, Mexico share a unique bi-national narrative – we’re two different countries, but the people in these cities live one life, and we consider ourselves as one region. In this LinkedIn series for TechSpark, we are focusing on our partners, and I am passing the microphone to Bob Wingo, CEO, Sanders Wingo Advertising, well known in both regions as the force behind the ‘Intersection of Possibilities.’ As we all face a public health crisis as well as an economic crisis, I asked Bob how he thinks it will play out in our region, and how it may shape and change us.

This transcript has been edited for clarity and length.        

Omar: Thanks for being with us, Bob. Tell us about yourself and how you got to where you are today, and the project you are working on.

Bob: My career began in the apparel business with David Sanders in El Paso many decades ago. At that time, it was Sanders Advertising, which is now Sanders Wingo. We worked together, I ran advertising for an apparel firm, and David convinced me to join him as a partner. I took him up on that offer, and we became Sanders Wingo Galvin and Morton. Since then we have shortened our name to just Sanders Wingo. We've had the good fortune of having offices in El Paso, Austin, New York City, and presence in Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Northern California, and Dallas. We've had a chance to work with major clients like AT&T, General Motors, US Postal, Mini Cooper, AARP, State Farm Insurance, Burger King and Kentucky Fried Chicken. It's been an exciting run because we bring vision and insight to our clients. Our strategy team leads the charge on everything that we do.

I'm proud to be an El Pasoan and a border person because I love the fact that we can, other than right now, go back and forth across the border.

You and I chatted about the Intersection of Possibilities in Juarez early, early on. This project is focused on telling the story of what our region has to offer to the world. We came up with a positioning line that really speaks to what we are trying to do in the region. If we can create a road map for someone to be able to walk through and visually see all these things that are going on in our region, they’ll be able to see that there's more to do than just work here.

We can have great outings, we can go to the vineyards in New Mexico, La Vina winery, we can go to the mountains in New Mexico, Cloudcroft, Ruidoso, White Sands Missile Range, we can go to the tremendous historical places in Juarez. One of the best children's museums in this part of the world, La Rodadora “The Tumbleweed” Interactive Space is in Juarez. 

Omar: What do you think are Juarez's main strengths?

Bob: One of the key strengths, as I look at Juarez today, is the vibrancy of the marketplace. Juarez can attract business to the border and give people an opportunity to work on either side of the border. I’ve watched the industry base grow exponentially. Companies like CBRE are taking on major roles and responsibilities in Juarez. This is not being trite, but the restaurants and the service industry in Juarez are ten times what they are in El Paso. Some of the best cuisines you can find along the border.

A lot of the video content for the Intersection of Possibilities was filmed in Juarez. It was an eye-opener for many people on the El Paso side of the border to see the opportunities in the city. Programs like IMMEX or maquiladora and shelter companies like TECMA, are making it easy to set up operations in the city. There are billions of dollars of business happening in the automotive sector. Quite frankly, with what's happening in China, our opportunities along the border are going to grow exponentially. I think a lot of companies are going to look at ways to enhance their presence along the border such that they can still have a presence in the United States.

Cordova - Americas International Bridge

Omar: Recently, we had some big investments in the city. In your opinion, what have we done well or can do to prepare the city for the digital economy?

Bob: One of the things that we've done well, and we need to continue working on, is to have a more robust platform where our multiple markets are working collectively to problem-solve and create opportunities for the region, like The Borderplex Alliance in El Paso and Desarrollo Económico in Juarez. When I talk about the region, I'm including Las Cruces and Southern New Mexico because they also have border initiatives in place. We need to have the synergies of our multiple markets working collectively for common goals, where rising tides will raise all boats, and that will give our economies an opportunity to grow exponentially. Look at the most recent announcement by Amazon. It is a tremendous opportunity for the rest of the world to wake up and ask why is Amazon investing that amount of money in a 600,000 plus square foot distribution center in El Paso? What do they know that we do not? A few more key wins like that will really put our region on the map. 

Omar: In your view how can these big companies, including Microsoft, participate in and make an impact at the local level?

Bob: We've all experienced what COVID-19 has meant for the economy, but it's also shown that a lot of bigger companies are looking for ways to repurpose their assets and find new types of investments. They have employees who no longer want to work in the towers in New York City, so companies are trying to change their perspectives as it relates to digital and create opportunities for more people to work remotely. Now, your office is where you are. I think we’ll see more places for people to congregate, but at the same time have the ability from housing, transportation, and quality of life perspective to create scenarios that make them truly happy.

Our region has a lot of things to offer. Our new soccer team in Juarez, our baseball teams in El Paso, our restaurants and the new West Star Towers that are being built downtown. Paul Foster recently completed the Plaza Hotel; El Paso Del Norte is coming online soon, as well as the Miguel Fernandez Jr's hotel The Stanton House. It's just a lot of positive energy. COVID-19 has slowed part of our progress temporarily, but a lot of activity is picking up now. 

Juarez AI Center Construction

Omar: You're describing a unique region of these two cities, Juarez and El Paso. This community is so tight knit, how can we empower people to advocate for our progress together? How do we get corporate America to think of our region as a place to build their headquarters or regional divisions? 

Bob: We have to continue having a bi-national approach and work with Alejandra de la Vega, Dessa Royal, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the US-Mexico Chamber of Commerce, and, as I like to call them, the ‘power brokers,’ or the key decision makers on both sides of the bridge to tap into the positive economic development work that is going on.

Obviously, infrastructure plays a big role. We have a great railroad system in place and air travel. Additional flights in and out of certain key markets would enhance our ability to do more business here and get executives here without making two and three stops.

It's not always going to be the case, but I think folks are looking at the cost to invest, the cost of living, the cost of land acquisition, the cost of building, and you're seeing a value proposition.

I understand that both El Paso and Juarez have their own set of leadership and politics related issues, but at the end of the day, we need to collectively work to find solutions that raise the bar for all of us. It's almost like sitting in Washington DC on two sides of the aisle - we have to bring our thought process and our energies together.

Juarez Downtown

I want to end by reading the positioning statement of the Intersection of Possibilities because it really sums up exactly what we're talking about:

“The intersection of possibilities is here. Here, the future of economic development is dynamic and wide-open. Here, the cross-pollination of concepts and creativity is happening all the time. It’s a meeting place of innovation, excellence and industry where the Rio Grande, Chihuahuan Desert and three separate mountain ranges unite, and the flow of products and exchange of ideas is never-ending. This is where languages, geography and histories seamlessly blend. This is where El Paso + Juárez + Las Cruces are one. Our people, our workforce and our universities are all together. Our manufacturing power, military might and tech innovation are all interwoven. Our past, present and future are all intrinsically connected. Three cities. One region. One shared vision. Welcome to the intersection of possibilities.”

 TechSpark Spotlight: Through the TechSpark program, Microsoft partners with communities to understand their unique regional challenges and to explore solutions, programs, and partnerships that will be most effective locally. This first-hand account is part of the Microsoft TechSpark Spotlight series that shines a light on each community we serve.